Ichida's Sorrow I Guess
by Calamity Heart
Summary: Her exterior seems gritty... Her attitude seems snobbish... She seems like the mean, gritty, snobbish person everyone thinks she is, but Ichida Debiro is more than she seems... Look inside for more info and be sure to read the first A/N!
1. Hard

**(A/N: Hello, readers! This is SH10 here, branching to the Naruto world! This story is loosely based on a story of a good FF friend of mine, Tanni8kya Hehe. You may want to check out her stories, Highschool Troubles I Guess and Highschool Drama I Guess if you want to understand it. I got permission from her to do this, so I'm legit. n_n.**

**Most of the storyline belongs to me, I think you know which characters belong to Kishimoto, and Ichida belongs to both me and Tanni. I'll give a full cite at the end of the chapter.**

**Enjoy!)**

*Wee wah wee wah wee wah!*

I stared at the two ambulances as they pulled away from Club Aelita. I knew who was inside, and mixed emotions filled my head.

"Guess the party's over, huh?" Kedene asked, nudging my shoulder. I didn't answer.

"You okay?" she asked, nudging me again.

I still didn't answer. I was staring at someone nearby. Her… Ino…

I could clearly see her makeup running down her face, marred by her tears. Her man had his arm around her, awkwardly trying to comfort her.

Lost in my thoughts, I was not expecting Kedene to lean forward and blow hard in my ear, causing me to flinch.

"What the f- What is your frickin' problem?" I asked, turning to Kedene.

"Are…you…okay?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine. I'm just…thinking."

"About?"

"None-ya."

Kedene smirked. "It's Ino, isn't it?"

"Why would I be thinking about Ino? I hate Ino."

"You were friends once, weren't you? Friendships can never be completely broken. You still feel for her."

"She was more than my friend." I said, turning and walking away from the club and the hotel.

"H-Hey! Where are you going this late? Kagura-sensei and Orochimaru-sensei are going to be pissed if you're not back by curfew."

"I'd tell you not to get your panties in a bunch if you were wearing any. I'm just taking a walk. Alone."

I could feel Kedene's eyes locked onto me until I turned the corner. I looked up at the stars and the moon, helping the street lights illuminate my world as I lost myself in my thoughts again. Several times, Rihanna's song Hard played and my hip vibrated. I took my phone out after what I thought was a couple of minutes and saw that I had a text message from Kedene.

*Ur in BIG trble, Ichi! :(*

I looked at the time and gasped. It was 12:30 in the morning! I turned to run back in the other direction, but I was stopped by a wall of leather.

"Well, well. Look what we have here. A little cutie strutting around after dark. That's dangerous, you know."

I back away, only to find myself pressed against another person.

"What do you want?" I stammered, looking left and right at the two thugs on either side of me. I froze solid when the leather-clad teen walked up and held my chin in his fingers.

"We don't want much. Just your wallet. If you don't us to mess up that pretty little face, you'll comply."

"I-I don't have any money. Honestly." I said. I wasn't lying. I left all my money and my purse on the second floor of the club.

"Then I'm sure you won't mind if we get our compensation some other way." he said with a smirk, reaching to unbutton my jeans.

"Get off of me, you skazz!" I yelled, jerking away from them. When I flailed, it turned on the media player of my phone, and a song began playing. (A/N: Hard; by Rihanna ft. Young Jeezy.)

_They can say whateva'_

_I can do whateva'_

_No pain is foreva'_

_Yup, you know this._

As Hard continued to play, the thugs were starting to get rough. I tried fighting them off, but two-against-one wasn't really my game, and no one was awake at 12:30 in the morning. I felt them ripping my clothes ad fondling me, and I knew if I didn't do something quick, I would lose my virginity for sure!

_Imma rock this shit like fashion, as in_

_Goin' till they saaaaaaay stop_

_And my runway never looked so clear_

_But the hottest bitch in heels right here_

Using all of my strength, I threw my legs forward and delivered a jarring kick right in the leather thug's family jewels. While he was on the ground, I elbowed the other jerk in the side, causing him to lose his grip on me. I seized the moment and ran as fast as my heels could run, a more cumbersome task considering I had to hold my clothes together.

"Get back here!" I heard the thugs scream as I ran. I turned around to see if they were catching up, when-

KLANG!

I ran straight into a lamppost, bouncing back and landing hard on the ground. The shock jarred my phone out of my pocket, just as I got a call. My vision started fading just as I went to voicemail.

"Ichida, I hope you're okay. Everyone's worried about you. Call back if you get this…" came Kedene's voice.

Sadness filled my heart as I stopped seeing. I could still barely hear, though.

"Damn, you think she's dead?"

"Doesn't matter. We were never here, you hear me?"

As the footsteps faded, so did my other senses. My life began to flash before my eyes. It may have lasted for an instant, but it felt like fifteen years…

_That I-I-I I'm so hard…_

_Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm so hard…_

_That I-I-I I'm so hard…_

_Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm so hard…_

_That I-I-I I'm so hard…_

_Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm so hard…_

_So hard… Too hard… Too hard… Too hard…_

**(A/N: D'oh! I feel so bad for end that at such a critical moment! I don't want to leave you on that cliff for long, so I'll start working on that next chapter, which will be longer, right now!**

**Kedene belongs to Tanni8kya Hehe**

**Ichida belongs half to me, half to Tanni.**

**Ino belongs to Masashi Kishmoto.**

**Those two mean thugs belong to me, unfortunately. :(**

**Until the next chapter, this is SH10, signing out!**


	2. Bah, Issi ban!

**(A/N: Hello, again! Two chaps less than twenty-four hours apart is an accomplishment, as many who know me and read my stories already know. ^^**

**Today, we delve into Ichida's mind, back to when she was a child. Woosh… Woosh… Woosh…**

**Not working? Alright. Let's just get on with it. To the story!)**

I was always told that I was a cute child, that I would grow up to look just like my mother, that my face would take me places…

I grew up in Konoha, the older of two daughters of the biggest businesswoman this side of Tokyo. Senshu Debiro, the 'Tyrant Devil', was one to be feared in the world of stocks and markets. Her biggest rival and longtime friend, Inoichi Yamanaka, and his family were always close to mine. So close that my mother named me after him.

I met her one night when Inoichi brought his family over for dinner. She was pretty, like me. Her eyes were a big, sparkling blue, and her hair was a calm blonde, as opposed to my striking silver locks, given to me by my mother. After dinner, as our parents talked business, I brought her up to my room.

"So, what's your name?" I asked, sitting on my bed while she looked around at my big room.

"I'm Ino. And you must be Ichida, right? You look just like your mommy." the chipper blonde said to me.

"Thanks. You look just like your dad."

"You're room is cool." Ino said, sitting down on the bed as well. "It's not as big as mine, though."

"Yeah, well I bet my pillows are softer!" I joked, grabbing one of my bed pillows and slapping Ino with it. She shook off the feathers and grabbed a pillow of her own, starting a big pillow fight that lasted for over an hour.

Ino and I immediately hit it off. Yesterday, we were completely unknown to each other, but two days later, we were the best of friends. Ino and I did everything together, from hanging out at each other's houses to going to the park or the movies.

I was SO happy to have Ino as a friend, but I was so sad to have left only months after our friendship took off, thanks to my mom's business endeavors. I savored the last day that Ino and I spent together.

"Does this look good on me, Ichi-chan?" Ino asked that day, twirling around and showcasing her beautiful pink yukata, embroidered all over with blue flowers. On the back was a giant kanji of Ichida's name.

I giggled, honored that Ino thought so highly of our friendship as to ask her mother to make matching tiny yukata for us. I was wearing my own custom-made summer kimono, with Ino's name written in kanji on the back and purple flower all over mine.

"Of course it does! You look beautiful, especially today, Ino-chan." I complimented.

Ino blushed with a warm smile. "Hmmm… thanks."

Ino gasped in shock as I stepped forward and hugged her tightly.

"I'm gonna miss you." I sniffled, furling my eyebrows ad holding back tears.

"I'll miss you, too, Ichida." Ino said, patting me on the back. "But let's not focus on that. The big Summer Solstice Festival is starting, and we don't want our sappiness to spoil our fun, do we?"

"Heh, no, I guess not." I said with a smile, my spirits lifting.

000

"Come on, Mom! We don't need chaperones. We'll chaperone each other!"

"I know you two think you're mature, but you're only five. You're getting chaperones, and that's final." my mom told us at the door, holding my little sister, Hakujo. Two suit-wearing men stood beside us, their expressions frozen behind their sunglasses.

"Always nice to see you, Sasoku, Chodo." Ino said to the two goons, who nodded in acknowledgement.

"Aw, Mom, come on. Having them as our shadows will cramp our style."

"You're five, you don't HAVE style." Mom retorted.

"Sure we do! Look at our outfits!"

"Yes, Mrs. Yamanaka has great style."

"Oh, Mom…"

"Alright, if you're so upset about this, Sasoku and Chodo will watch you from a distance. Is that any better?"

"Much. Thanks, Mom." I said, brightening.

"You're welcome, kiddo. Now you two get out of here, and don't come back until you've had the best time of your lives!" my mom called to us as we ran down the street. Even if others called her a tyrant, she was pretty nice underneath it all.

000

The festival was amazingly bright and vibrant. Ino and I frolicked into the night, doing everything we thought would be fun. It truly was the best night of our lives. As the clock neared midnight, Ino and I hiked up a tall hill to get a good view at the fireworks, which were starting.

"That was SO fun, Ichi-chan! I never knew you were such a good dart thrower!" Ino laughed, nodding to the giant teddy bear on my back.

"Me neither. I guess I get it from my dad. My mom always told me that he was a crack shot."

"Was?"

"My dad's dead. He was a bad smoker, and lung cancer made him give up the ghost about a year ago."

"Oh… I'm so sorry."

"Naw, it's alright. I miss him a lot, though."

Ino and I watched more of the fireworks in relative silence at that point. Much later, when the fireworks were reaching their finale, Ino turned and broke the silence with an unexpected question.

"We'll be best friends forever, right?"

I looked into Ino's eyes, which were deep with concern. My answer came almost automatically.

"Always… Nobody will replace me, right? Pinky promise?"

"Yup!" Ino giggled, wrapping her pinky around mine. After we let go, her bright smile was replaced with another concerned frown.

"But I wish you wouldn't move, Ichi-chan."

'You and me both…' I thought. I was going to say it out loud, but I didn't want to upset her more.

"Don't, Ino-chan. I'll be back soon, before you know it! Definitely!"

Cheesily, I split my fingers in the peace sign, causing Ino to laugh. We linked our arms and watched the finale of the fireworks in peaceful silence.

000

The next day, I sat in the back of my mom's overly-expensive car with an unpronounceable brand name, inwardly entertained by my younger sister's gibbering and giggling.

"Alright, Ichi. All my deals have been sealed for this town, my office is up for rent, I sold this house to some desperate suckers for a killing, and all of our stuff is packed. We're ready to roll." my mom said, climbing into the car.

I said nothing, causing my mom to look back at my sad face.

"Hey, kiddo, cheer up. Tell you what, once I completely knock out my competition in Nagasaki, I'll schmooze the suckers that live here into giving us back this place at three-quarters the price and we can move back here. You can see Ino again."

I looked up at my mom and smiled. A loud thump surprised me and I turned to see Ino, her face pressed against the tinted window, with a giant smile painted on it.

"Bah, Issi-ban!" Ino garbled funnily, stepping away from the window and waving as we pulled off toward the airport.

000

Nagasaki was a whole different place. The entire land smelled like big business, proven when my mm stepped out of the airport while pushing Hakujo's stroller, taking a deep, long breath.

"Ah… The smell of money to be made and losers to be crushed into bankruptcy. Take a deep whiff, kiddo. Soon, this will be your land."

"But what if I don't want to be the high priestess of your business tyranny?"

My mother laughed hysterically, as if what I said was the best joke she had ever heard.

"That's a good one, Ichida. I'll have to remember that one. High priestess… Where do you come up with this stuff..?"

"But… that's not… ugn…" I groaned, following my mom to the car, which was shipped in a Debiro Inc. cargo jet.

"So where are we staying again?" I asked a few minutes after we got on the road.

"It's a nice mansion in the inner ring. Almost as good as our old- Waah!" my mom screamed as a black Hummer clipped her and ran them both into the emergency lane and the guardrail. There was a bumper sticker on the Hummer that read 'Fugaku Corp.'

"Stay in the car and calm little Jojo down, Ichida. I'm going to give this guy a BIG piece of my mind." Mom said, getting out of the car and storming toward the car, banging on the driver's door. A tall man got out of the car, glaring daggers at my mom, who was about a full head shorter than he was.

After I stopped Jojo from crying, I saw the passenger door open. A kid who was a little older than me looked at the verbal war, then at me. I opened my door, and stepped out, too. My mom was too busy arguing with the man to notice me.

"Look at the damage you've done to my car! Not to mention you could've hurt my children! I could sue your ass into third-world poverty!" my mom yelled.

"Your illegal lane change could've hurt my children AND my wife! If you sue me, I'll COUNTER-sue you for everything you own!"

"You don't scare me, Uchiha! I know how your twisted little mind works. You'd pay out the judge, the jury, AND the prosecution in order to get a guilty verdict on me!"

"Ha! And I bet you wouldn't do the same, right Debiro? You're a power-mad tyrant who'd do anything to win!"

The boy walked up to me, staring down at me. He was about a head taller than me, as well.

"Are you going to start yelling at me, too?" I joked.

"Nah, I'm not as high-strung as my dad is. My name's Itachi. What's yours?"

"Ichida. We're kinda new here."

"Huh. I have a little brother about your age... Anyway, my dad is Fugaku Uchiha, one of the most illustrious business tycoons in all of Japan."

"Well, my mom is Senshu Debiro, THE most illustrious business tycoon in all of Japan."

"Looks like we're rivals, then." Itachi said with a devilish smile.

"Itachi! Get back in the car; we're leaving!"

"Ichida, let's go! We don't have to take this bull!"

Fugaku opened his car door and screeched back onto the highway after Itachi got back in his seat.

"You'll be hearing from my lawyers!" Mom yelled after them before getting in the car and pulling off, too. "Sorry you had to see that, kiddo. That Fugaku gets under my skin every time. He's a self-centered autocrat!"

"Rival of yours, like Mr. Yamanaka?"

"Oh, no. Inoichi is a friendly competitor. Fugaku is pure EVIL, just like the rest of those Uchihas. I don't want you associating with them, you hear?"

"Sure, Mom." I lied. I had a feeling I'd run into Itachi again before this was over…

000

"Hey… Is that… It is! It's Ichida! Quick, Kagura-sensei, call an ambulance! She's really beat up!"

"See what you can do for her now! Make sure she's breathing and stop any bleeding!"

"She's not bleeding and her breathing is faint. She's crying, though…"

"Well, for the most part, she's fine. Keep her that way until we can get an ambulance out here!"

**(A/N: There's the second chapter. Getting heavy, ain't it? Our next chapter will follow Ichida's connection to Sasuke, in school! Ooh…**

**Fugaku, Itachi, Ino, and Kagura belong to MK.**

**Senshu, Hakujo, Sasoku, Chodo, and Ichida's right half belong to me. Her right half belongs to Tanni.**

**Till next time, readers!)**


	3. Field Day

**(A/N: Here's the newest chappie, guys! Not much to say in these A/N's anymore, besides the disclaimer and the chapter description.**

**Full cite at the end of the chappie, as you know. Let's get on with it!)**

"Admit it! You totally like him."

"I do not!"

"You do."

"Do not!"

"Do too."

"I swear, I don't like him. He's SO overrated."

"You LOVE him, don't you?"

"NO! Stop it, Ino-chan, you're embarrassing me!"

It was five years later. Ino and I were video-chatting from our parents' computers. A blush crawled up my ten-year-old face as Ino, also more mature, pressed my buttons.

"You don't have to be ashamed, Ichi-chan. I like Justin Bieber, too! He's SO cute, isn't he?"

"I guess I like him a little…"

"You mean LOOOOVE-"

"Ino-chan!"

"Hehe. Sorry. So, have you scheduled your grand return yet?"

"Well, we would've already been there, but Mom's having a really hard time beating Fugaku Corp., and if we leave now, they'll have won. It's Mom's presence here that's keeping Nagasaki on its toes with the market. If one stock let's up even a LITTLE, she's on top of it."

"Yawn. Socks and buns are so boring…" Ino said,

"You mean stocks and bonds?"

"Again, yawn."

"Ichida! Time to go!" my mom yelled.

"Sorry, Ino-chan. Gotta go. Last day of school for Jojo and I. You'll never BELIEVE who I'm hanging out with!"

Before Ino could answer, I closed the laptop, grabbed my bag, and rushed out the door.

000

"You mind explaining this to me?" my mom asked me before we got out of the car to go to the school, handing me my phone. A text message was opened.

*C u at field day? Itachi*

I looked at the message for a long while before answering.

"You went through my cell phone?"

"Not the point. I've been telling you over and over not to mess with those Uchiha kids. They're just as wily as their father, if not wilier."

"Itachi isn't like his dad. He's cool." I tried to sure.

"Sure, he may seem cool to you today, but he'll break your heart without fail, just like… N-Never mind."

"Huh?"

"It's nothing to worry about. You're going to be late for homeroom. Later, kiddoes." she called as I got out of the car with Hakujo. I watched as my mom's stylish car zoomed out of the lot.

"Ichi-neesan, can you take me to my class?" Hakujo asked, tugging on my uniform skirt.

"Why wouldn't I?" I said, taking my little first-grade sister by the hand and leading her into the big school building.

000

Nagasaki Prep-Elementary was always hectic on the last day of school, known as Field Day. It was a day of fun, dancing, activities, and a huge moon-bounce! While the first and second-graders enjoyed the big bouncy castle, the third-through-sixth-grade classes were gearing up for Tug-o'-war.

Four boys and four girls gripped a long, thick rope on either side of a white flag that sat in the center of the field. Even though it was just a game, you could feel the glowers of the opposite team, piercing into your soul. I was the second from the front, while the front man on the other team was-

"Ah… Sasuke…" the girl in front of me whispered dreamily.

Sasuke sure was a looker… I noticed that the four girls on his team crowded and bunched against the rope, trying to get as close to Sasuke as possible, while the other three boys stood, disgruntled, in the back.

His obsidian eyes stared straight through my entire team. I was beginning to lose my composure. His whole team would rip their arms off to get a win for Sasuke, while almost half my team's arms turned to jelly just looking at him. I was the only girl not swooned by his silent, masculine wiles. I tried to calm my breathing. If he saw me sweat, I was finished.

Our teacher walked up to us and looked at both teams.

"Ready… GO!"

As soon as he gave the command, I yanked at the rope with all of my might. Sasuke got a slow start, so he got wrenched forward, almost knocking him off of his feet. We got a good foot and a half of distance, and we continued to pull, bringing Sasuke's team flag closer to the center white flag!

Suddenly, my arms began to get stretched, and I saw that the girls on Sasuke's team were starting to get ferocious, pulling on the rope with all the unnatural strength in their tiny ten-year-old bodies. I swear, I saw one of them frothing at the mouth, too…

It was starting to look bad, and at one point, it was perfectly even. Then the enemy girls began to lose their strength. Using whatever power I had left, I tugged on the rope, my team and I bring their flag over the line and winning the game.

Sasuke's team was forlorn. Two of the girls clung to Sasuke asking for their apologies, while the other two cried at his feet. Sasuke simply stepped over and around them, walking toward me. His charisma jumped two levels as he approached, the way his chest heaved in and out in tiredness… The sweat beading off of his head…

"Good game, Ichida." he said with a smile as he passed.

Even though I didn't like-like him, his coolness almost blew me away. It took all my strength to keep me from falling over.

Our fourth-grade team was one of the two finalists, the other being the sixth-grade team. Itachi was on that team, and he smirked when he saw me.

Needless to explain, we were crushed. Barely five seconds after the game started, it was over. My team was yanked face-first in the grass, spitting out blades of the green prickly plant before Itachi offered his hand to help me up.

"I bet you think we cheated, huh?" he said jokingly.

"Nah, I know you're not as shifty as my mom thinks your dad is."

"YOUR mom thinks MY dad is shifty? You know, they used to date in high school, right?"

"What? No!" I said, flabbergasted. 'Was this what she was about to tell me in the car?'

"Yup, it's true. My dad suspected your mom of cheating on him and they got into a huge argument. They broke up that night and were enemies ever since. In everything. From grades, to extracurriculars, to just living life. Your mom would probably tell you a different story, though."

Itachi waved goodbye and began to walk away. As I followed him with my eyes, I saw another blonde boy walk up to him and start up a conversation. Losing interest, I walked off to another event.

000

The end-of-day dance was a little more dismal than I had thought it would be. Slow music was playing and barely anyone was dancing to it. All the good dance music was deemed 'inappropriate' by the overly strict principal. I sat on one end of the room, playing a game on my phone, when suddenly, I received a text.

*Ths dance is dull… x_x Gve it a sec. I'm plnning 2 spice it up. ;-) Itachi*

I suddenly got excited, wondering what Itachi would do and how he would charge up this dead battery of a dance. As I thought, I saw our principal and the chaperoning teachers run out of the gymnasium toward the parking lot. Out of an adjacent door, Itachi stepped out and closed it, locking the teachers out of the gym.

"What's going on?" I asked Itachi.

"Some idiot let the first-graders back out on the field to storm the moon-bounce. Tell your kid sis I said, 'You're welcome.'" Itachi said with a smile.

"Nice. So, now that they're out of the way, how are you-"

"Give it another second." Itachi said, taking a compact disc out of his pocket and running up to the DJ. He handed him the disc and walked away.

"Yo, yo! Turn those frowns upside-down! I'm about to give you ladies something to DANCE to!" the DJ sad in his mike. The slow, dismal music stopped, and a better song started playing. (My Chick Bad by Ludacris ft. Nicki Minaj)

_My chick bad, my chick hood_

_My chick do stuff that yo' chick wish she could_

_My-My chick bad, my chick hood_

_My chick do stuff that yo' chick wish she could_

The song was mesmerizing. Perfect for a dance battle. My guess was spot on as I saw all the students gathering in a circle around two combatants. I elbowed my way to the front to get a good look at the action.

Itachi and another boy were giving it all they had. His opponent, a sixth-grader with striking orange hair, was krumping to each beat vigorously, stomping, chest pumping, and top-rocking vividly. He was really firing up the crowd. On the other end, Itachi was b-boying.

I watched, mesmerized by his skill, as Itachi did effortless air flairs, ending in a one-handed freeze.

"Looks like it's getting hot in here, dance rats! Let's turn this up a little bit more. Itachi, Pein, pluck a lucky lady out of the crowd and show everyone just how BAD yo' chick really is!"

Pein turned behind him and motioned for a girl to join him. A blue-haired sixth-grader stepped out.

"Good choice, my man! Looks like it's Pein and Konan going first."

As the music blasted, Pein and Konan did all sorts of powerful krumping moves and impressive visuals. While Pein top-rocked, Konan dropped it low and did some floorwork, showing an impressive collection of downrocking tricks and power-moves for a girl of her stature.

_Her swagger don't stop, her body don't quit_

_So, fool, pipe down, you ain't talkin' 'bout sh-i-i-i-i-_

_My chick bad, tell me if you seen her_

_She always bring the racket like Venus and Serena_

As Pein and Konan's turn concluded, they ended in a lift with Pein lifting Konan over his shoulders, doing some synchronized ticking and mouthing the lyrics.

_No time for games, she's full grown_

_My chick bad, TELL YO CHICK TO GO HOME!_

The entire gymnasium went up in applause as Pein and Konan ended their routine.

"You're turn, Itachi. Pick a lady and show us her moves!" the DJ said.

"You know how to breakdance?" Itachi walked up and asked me.

"Not as well as you, but I can hold my own." I said.

"Perfect. Just follow my lead." Itachi said, leading me into the circle.

"We got us a live one!" the DJ said. "Here's Itachi and Ichida with their response!"

"Kick your legs up when I dip you." Itachi whispered before the verse started.

_Now, you girl might be sick, but my girl SICKER_

_She ride that -gasp!- and she handles her liquor_

_Knock a -ding!- out, -whack!- aaand FIGHT!_

_Comin' out swingin' like Tiger Woods' wife_

As the verse played, Itachi grabbed my arms and dipped me low. Following his instructions, I threw my legs in the air, and as I did, he brought my body back up, spinning me into a floating backflip.

While I stood, trying to figure out what just happened, Itachi dropped low and slid underneath my legs. After clearing the slide, he pumped his arms on the floor and stood into a handstand before arching his back forward into the sickest and cleanest Scorpio I had ever seen.

"Now virgin flairs. And keep them low." Itachi whispered again as he stood.

To get some momentum going, I spun around once before dropping down on my hands and doing low flairs while keeping my legs closed, almost as if I was on a pommel horse. As I did so, noticed Itachi doing air flairs around my legs as I spun, like clockwork. I wish I could've seen myself. The audience was cheering madly, so I'm sure we were doing some amazing visuals.

"Freeze on 'parade'." Itachi said as he spun around me. I didn't know what he meant until I remembered the lyrics of the song.

_Couple girlfriends and they all a lil' crazy_

_Comin' down the street like a parade, MACY'S!_

As soon as I froze in the middle of my flair, Itachi did, also. It was impressive how he was able to stop himself after building so much momentum in his spin.

"Whoa, what a battle! Let's hear what the audience thought. Make some noise for Pein and Konan!"

The gymnasium applauded loudly at the call of their names.

"Alright, now make some noise for Itachi and Ichida!"

I flinched at the massive uproar Itachi and I received. It even surprised Itachi a little.

"Looks like we have a winner! Congratulations, you guys, and good battle to all the dancers! Now, break the circle and let's ALL show some moves!"

The dance circle dissipated, and soon everyone was on the floor, dancing their hearts out.

000

The day after the best day of my life, things changed forever… It was the first day of summer, and Hakujo and I were playing outside.

"Is it true that you like Justin Bieber, too, Ichi-neesan?"

"Who told you that?" I asked her, tossing her big pink ball back and forth between us.

"Ino-senpai. She told me on video chat that you LOVED him!"

"Of course she did… Yeah, I do kind of like… his music."

"Yay! I like his music, too. This is my favorite song!" Jojo said, taking out her cell phone and forgetting that her ball was flying straight at her.

The ball struck her on the head just as she activated her media player (Never Say Never by Justin Bieber ft. Jaden Smith)

_I never thought that I could walk through fire_

_I never thought that I could take the burn_

_I never thought that I could take it higher_

_Until I reached the point of no return_

"Ooh! Sorry, Jojo!"

"It's okay, Ichi-neesan. I'll get the ball."

As I watched Jojo skip down the street, I turned at the sound of my house's door opening. My mom stepped out and looked as if she was about to say something, but her expression suddenly changed to one of horror.

"JOJO!" she screamed at the top of her lungs.

Before I knew what was going on, I heard the screech of tires, a fraction of a scream, and a sickening thud behind me. All the blood immediately rushed from my face. I turned around, and the blood rushed right back into my face and immediately turned into ice.

A car sat, asymmetrical, on the curb, the driver stumbling out with a couple of bottles tumbling out with him. Hakujo was lying in the street, her face frozen in an expression of shock. My mom and I rushed to her side. She felt her chest, and suddenly started pumping Hakujo's still chest in a blind frenzy, stopping every few moments to open her mouth and gave her a deep breath to try to get air back into her lungs.

"Call dispatch and tell them there's an emergency!" my mom screamed at me as she continued to try to resuscitate Jojo.

I grabbed my sister's phone from the highway, the lyrics of my sister's favorite song branding themselves into my mind as the media player continued to play as if nothing was going on.

_I will never say never (I will fight)_

_I will fight till forever (Make it right)_

_Whenever you knock me down_

_I will not stay on the ground_

_Pick it up, pick it up, pick it up_

_Pick it up, up, up_

_And never say never…_

000

(Present day Ino's POV)

The waiting room of a hospital was the worst place on earth. All you could do there was sit and wonder if the person you're waiting for is okay. Reading the magazines or using a laptop didn't help ease the stress or quell the pain.

Sasuke, Sakura, and Tishana all sat with me. Even Sasuke looked troubled, and I didn't blame him. It's not every day that your best friend and roommate gets nearly thrashed by Russian rapists.

As I sat, wallowing in my impatience and stress, a loud voice stirred me out of my funk for a few seconds.

"Diagnostics have returned! Her skull's been chipped and a fragment has lodged itself in her brain. She must've taken one heavy hit."

"Her right lung has also collapsed! There's no time to perform multiple surgeries!"

"We'll have to do it all at once, then!"

As the doctors rushed down the hall, I caught a quick glimpse of who was on the gurney, and my heart almost stopped beating.

"Ichida?"

Sakura gasped and Sasuke furled his eyebrows, giving an interested look that I had never seen on his face before. I stood up and ran after the doctors and the gurney.

"Prep for surgery, people! It's now or never!" one doctor yelled.

"What's going on?" I yelled, my heart racing in fear as the tall man turned to me.

"Who are you?" he asked me.

"I'm Ichida's f-f-friend. Is she okay?" I demanded again, feeling weird after saying that she was a 'friend'.

"To be completely honest, I don't know. She's suffered some massive injuries, and it will take a miracle to save her at this point."

My breathing began to get heavy and shaky.

"Calm down. Just pray for the best. We'll do everything in our power to make sure she pulls through this."

"Th-thank you…" I stuttered, watching as the prepped doctors rolled the gurney into the OR. I saw Ichida's face as she passed. Her face was wet with tears. One eye opened and looked dully at me before fluttering and closing again.

As the OR doors swung shut, tears began to run down my face, as well. I may have hated Ichida, but there was still a twinge of that old friendship left in me, stabbing mercilessly at my heart…

**(A/N: Now it's REALLY getting heavy. Ichida's trip down memory lane is getting darker by the minute, and her real-life sitch isn't any better. What will happen? Find out next time, on ISIG!**

**I don't think a cite is really necessary anymore… Ichida's right half, Senshu, and Hakujo (R.I.P T-T) belong to me. Ichida's left half belongs to Tanni, and literally everybody else belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. Literally. Everybody.**

**Until next time, readers! I'm your chipper little typing elf, SH10! (^.^))**


	4. Heart Attack

**(A/N: School's OUT! Woohoo! Now I can devote my time to FanFiction, where I truly belong. :) As usual, there's a full cite at the end of the chapter. Let's see how Ichida's handling things two years after her sister's death.**

**Little fix to a mistake I made last chapter. Tishana, who was mentioned at the very end, belongs to Tanni as well. Hehe… Oopsies. ^^)**

Things changed forever after that day. After winning a lawsuit against the drunk dirtbag who did the deed, my mom was not as happy as she used to be. And neither was I.

For the next two months or so, my mom and I used to cry ourselves to sleep at night, but by the time two years had passed, most of our tears had dried up. I had put Never Say Never on my phone to always keep my little sister close to my heart.

On December 20, 2007, Fugaku Corp's base of operations went into the red, and it had no stocks left to fall back on. Debiro Inc. had won the long battle, and we could finally return home. The Uchihas were forced to move out of Nagasaki and find a new base, not an easy task when you're close to total bankruptcy.

Bathed in success, my mom immediately booked a flight back to Konoha, Tokyo, leaving the Nagasaki branch of Debiro Inc. in the hands of her CFO and her secretary.

"We're finally out of this place…" my mom said with a deep sigh as the plane took off out of Nagasaki. "You happy to be going back home?"

"Not if we're moving again…" I said.

"That's a promise. No more moving for us." my mom said with a distant voice. She looked out of the plane window, down at Nagasaki as it slowly got smaller.

000

Nothing eventful happened until about a week after we arrived back home in Konoha. Ino and I had planned to meet after we had settled back down again. I had waited in the playground for her the day we were supposed to meet up, sitting on the swings. Oddly, I had found someone to talk to while waiting.

"You new here, Ichida?" the boy asked me as he sat in the opposite swings, after we introduced ourselves.

"I might as well be; I haven't been to my home in seven years. Everything looks so different now. I sure know this playground wasn't here when I was five. What about you, Suigetsu?"

"I moved here a couple of weeks ago, and I'm still getting used to it." Suigetsu said, picking at the canine that stuck out from between his lips. My family's a subsidiary of a company that recently went in the red, and if we wanted to keep our jobs, we had to move with them."

I furled my eyebrows. "You wouldn't be a subsidiary of Fugaku Corp., would you?"

"Yeah, I am. How'd you guess?"

"Lucky shot in the dark." I said, thinking about how Itachi and Sasuke could be here, too.

After a few more minutes, I started talking to Suigetsu about Ino, and when I started, I just couldn't stop. I named off all the good qualities about my best friend that I could, only stopping to catch my breath every once in a while. Suigetsu seemed kind of amused.

"Ichi-chan!" I heard as I continued to tell Suigetsu about how great Ino was.

Turning around, I saw someone, but for a split second, I was confused at who it was. For just a fraction of a second, it looked like it was Jojo running full speed toward me, but I blinked, and it turned out to be Ino. My heart twanged for a couple of beats as I smiled and cocked my head to one side.

"Ino-cha-" Was all I could get out before I was basically tackled to the ground by Ino's massive bear hug.

"It's nice to see you again." I finished, laughing at my friends excitability.

"Ugh… Girls are SO emotional." Suigetsu said with a smirk.

Ino got up and looked oddly at the white-haired boy.

"Oh, Ino-chan," I started, standing up and brushing the wood chips off of my back. "This is Suigetsu."

"Yo, Ino-san," Suigetsu said, continuing to pick at his canine. "I heard a lot about you."

"Nice to meet you!" Ino said with a smile, shaking Suigetsu's hand. It was nice to see that Ino had lost none of her bubbliness.

"Well, it was nice hanging out with you two, but I gotta bounce. I gotta go up to the school with my dad to pick up my syllabi and schedules and whatnot." Suigetsu said, waving as he walked down to the street.

I was about to open my mouth and talk to Ino again, but I heard another voice call out.

"Ino-chan! Ino-chan!"

I turned and saw another girl jogging up. She was pretty, like Ino, but she had long pink hair and soft green eyes.

The girl shocked me. She had ran up and jumped on Ino, giving her a noogie and calling her names.

"Grr! Ino-pig! Why don't you answer your phone anymore? I had to take a lucky guess that you were in the park!"

"Well, maybe I don't have to tell you everywhere I go, Billboard-Brow!" Ino retorted, twisting around and jabbing the interloper in the forehead with two fingers.

I was a moment away from jumping in and breaking up the 'fight', but that same moment, Ino and the new girl separated and shared a laugh.

"It's alright, Ino. I forgive you." she said, giving Ino a hug.

"You two, uh, know each other?" I asked.

"Oh! Sorry, Ichi-chan. This is Sakura. Her family bought your house after you left. We became b- *cough!* good friends while you were gone."

I wasn't an idiot. I could tell by looking at them that these two had become the BEST of friends behind my back. Not only that, Sakura had been Ino's best friend LONGER than I had been. At that moment, something broke in my head. A gear had shot loose and disrupted the entire clockwork of my emotions, but I hid it as best as I could.

"Well, it's *twitch!* nice to meet you, S-Sakura-chan."

"And Sakura, this is Ichida. We were inseparable before you moved here!"

"Nice to finally meet you, Ichi-chan! Ino has told me so much about you." Sakura said, running up and giving me a hug.

The hug tingled, like I was being hugged by a sheet of sandpaper. I knew that this feeling was my body reacting enviously to hers. From the moment that Sakura released me from her hug, I had become her secret enemy…

000

For a full six months, I was forced to watch as Sakura and Ino got closer and closer, and we drifted farther apart. I had been making many efforts to see Ino and to rekindle that old friendship that we had, but every time we got a chance to meet up, SHE always tagged along. I wanted to wring her neck SO badly, but as long as Ino was around her, I was powerless…

The more this went on, the more springs and gears started coming loose in my head, until I lost all rationality…

One day, while all three of us hung out at Ino's house while her parents were away, Ino and Sakura talked, while I played video games on Ino's TV, uninterested.

"Be right back, guys. I'm going to get us some sodas. You want anything, Ichi-chan?" Ino asked.

"Some lemonade would be nice." I said without looking away from the TV.

After Ino left, Sakura started talking to me.

"I know how you must feel, Ichi-chan. Let me just assure you: Ino-chan loves you, too!" she said.

For a moment, for just a moment, I didn't think that Sakura was as bad as I thought she was.

"But she still loves ME more."

That's when I snapped. Even though all reason had left my head, I remained still, continuing to play the game, waiting for just ONE more reason to kill her.

"Aw, don't be mad, Ichi-chan! I'm just kidding with you. But I can see how you might feel threatened. I've been hanging out with Ino longer, I'm just a LITTLE bit cuter…"

I could tell that Sakura meant well and was honestly just kidding with me, and had I kept any of my sanity, I wouldn't have minded, but every joke she made brought me closer to the edge…

"…not to mention that we share the same interests! Plus, she loves my long hair."

That was the trigger. No sooner than those words escaped her lips, I whirled around and gave her the most powerful slap I could muster, which sent her to the floor hard. I jumped on Sakura and the two of us began a bout of wrestling and trading blows. Sakura got a couple of good shots in, cutting my lip and bruising my eye, until I was able to get on top of her and sit on her stomach, tiring her out to the point where she could barely move.

Grabbing a pair of scissors from Ino's drawer, I continued my rampage, alternating between cutting her hair and ripping it out of her skull. I yelled at her as I did, too. I was glad that Ino's kitchen was two floors down and on the other side of the house, so she didn't hear me.

"You don't belong here, you bitch! Ino is MINE! All MINE! So find your own friends and LEAVE MY SISTER ALONE! Do you hear me? LEAVE HER ALONE or I'll kill you!" I screeched at her, surprising even myself. I had barely even noticed that in my rage, I had called Ino my sister and I certainly didn't expect to shout a death threat at her.

I stood, panting and admiring my work. Sakura, sniveling and whimpering like a dog, tried to stand, but with one well-placed elbow to that billboard of a forehead, I sent her to the floor again, kneeling before me and clutching her throbbing head. Just then, the door opened.

"Alright, guys, I'm back with drinks for my two best buds, Sakura and- *gasp!* ICHIDA!"

In her shock, Ino dropped my glass of lemonade, causing it to shatter and douse the contents all over the carpet. She stared in pure horror at my stony expression, and then at Sakura's sad, pathetic form in front of me. In actuality, it took every fiber of my being not to attack Ino as well.

"W-Why are y-you doing this?" she asked with a shaky voice.

"You promised me… 7 years ago… that you wouldn't replace me." I said, my cold, almost deathly voice proclaiming my descent into my own pit of uber-insanity.

Sakura choked on her tears, looking slowly up at my terrifying face, then over to Ino's, as if asking for help.

"You promised we would be best friends forever, so I had to protect that." I spat, looking disdainfully down at Sakura. Ino was at a loss for words, slowly shaking her head. Tears were beginning to form in her wide, blue orbs.

"But I didn't… and we are… you didn't have to do this…" Ino stuttered.

"Yes I did… I did this for you Ino… for us… and this filth was trespassing in it."

In my own little world, I somehow thought this would all work out. I had it all scripted out in my mind. Ino would take me to her bathroom and we would talk it all out in there. We would forgive each other, and by that time, Sakura would've been out the door, in her parents' car, and moving far away from here. However, that whole fantasy was shattered by two three-letter words.

"Get out."

I looked up at Ino, and her shock and sadness were replaced with growing anger.

"W-What?" I asked, shocked. I opened my mouth to say something again, but Ino stopped me with a loud shout.

"Get out!" she screamed, causing me to flinch.

I gritted my teeth and cut my eyes at Ino before slowly walking toward her, taking something from my ear as I walked. As I passed, I dropped it at Ino's feet. It was the other half to the friendship earrings we had worn since we met. I had worn mine in my left ear and Ino in her right, and we had promised each other that we would never take them off…

As I waded over the lemonade stain, Ino said something again, the sword that cleaved my heart in two.

"Consider yourself…. replaced."

In another brief fit of rage, I slammed Ino's door behind me, breathing hard for a few moments before turning around and banging on it as hard as I could, screaming Ino's name.

"Waah! Ino, please! Let me back in, please! PLEASE, Ino! I'm sorry! Really, I'm sorry! Please forgive me, sis! Please, PLEASE!"

I put my ear at the door and heard Ino saying comforting words to Sakura, ignoring my pleas as if I didn't exist.

"Well, forget you!" I blubbered, the tears freely flowing down my face. "Forget you, forget Sakura, forget your family, and forget your STUPID flower shop! I don't need you anymore!"

And on that note, I ran through the house and down the two flights of stairs as fast as I could. As I ran out the door, I noticed Ino's father getting out of his car and beginning to walk up the driveway. He looked confusedly at me before yelling after me.

"I-Ichida? Ichida! Where are you going; I thought you were sleeping over!"

It was at that moment that I remembered my bags, still parked in the foyer of Ino's house, but I barely cared if I ever saw them again. All I cared about was getting home, a more depressing and daunting task when considering that it began pouring rain just a minute and a half later. As I trudged through the rain, wondering how this day could get any worse, a car zoomed by, splashing me with a fresh torrent of muddy water. But on I trudged, until I got to the doorstep of my house. I quickly opened the door and ran inside. My mom was sitting in her chair, reading a magazine and listening to her Pink Friday album.

She turned and gasped as she saw me, sopping wet and miserable.

"Ichida?" she asked as I ran up and hugged her tightly, crying into her chest. As it turned out, that particular day COULD get worse, because the song my mom was listening to was Super Bass, just as it reached what is now my LEAST favorite part of the song.

_See, I need you in my life for me to stay_

_No, no, no, no, no, don't go away_

_No, no, no, no, no, I know you'll stay, hey-y-y-y_

I cried loud and wildly in my mother's arms, who just rocked me in her lap and rubbed my back.

My life was practically over, and there was no way I could see it getting better…

000

"We're losing her! Seal her head up, fast!"

"Her lung won't inflate, Doctor!"

"Damn! What else could go wrong?"

-beeeeeeeeeeeeep!-

"Doctor, she's flatlined!"

"Stop the procedure! Get the defibrillator… Clear!"

-thump!-

"Again, clear!"

-thump!-

-beeeeeeeeeeeeep!-

"Is she… Is she gone?"

**(A/N: CLIFFY! I've been waiting to say that! Is Ichida really dead? And if she isn't will she make it through the surgery? Can Ichida's past possibly turn out to be any worse? The answer to that question is 'yes', and we'll find out how next chapter!**

**Until then, this is your loyal author, SH10, signing out! And… BOOM goes the dynamite! I've been waiting to steal that line since I've JOINED FanFiction! ^^**

**Oh, yeah. Full cite.**

**Sakura, Ino, Suigetsu, and the Uchiha family (mentioned) belong to MK, the lucky duck.**

**Ichida's right half, Hakujo (mentioned) and Senshu belong to me. Her left half will always belong to Tanni8kya HeHe.**

**NOW, I'm signing out!)**


	5. Disturbia

**(A/N: Welcome back to another epic installment of Ichida's Sorrow I Guess! The road of Ichida's past has been getting rougher and rougher in the past two chapters. Her sister's death has turned her into a sociopath, and she just lost her best friend! What could possibly happen next? Why don't we find out?)**

Not surprisingly, days later the Haruno family pressed charges against the Debiro family, or me and my mom, rather, for malicious assault. Even though the case was tried and discharged in favor of Debiro Inc., my mom was still upset at me over the whole deal.

The scary thing was that I didn't feel bad at all about what I did. The pain of what Ino did to me overtook any guilt I had towards attacking Sakura. I was turning into a sad, sad monster… and I didn't care.

000

Weeks later, school started at Konoha Middle School. I had fallen into a dense pool of depression, sitting at the bottom and drowning in my sadness. I had no friends and I was too sad to try and make any. Life for me couldn't possibly get any worse, right?

I thought this after leaving my next-to-last class and heading off to gym on my second day, when the real work started. I sat on the bleachers as I watched the boys play basketball and toss footballs around on one side and the girls exercise and gossip on the other. As I watched, I noticed a small group of girls talking. Ino and Sakura stood among them, and occasionally, members of that group would shoot glances toward me.

With a sigh, I stood and stepped off the bleachers, walking into the weight room. The girls' gym coach, Kurenai, stood over another girl as she attempted push-ups.

"Come on, Hinata, keep going! You've almost got it!" she yelled.

"I-I… c-c-can't..!" Hinata groaned, her arms wobbling under her as she attempted to push herself up. Sweat beaded down her pale forehead, flushed pink with the stress of her force.

"Never say you can't! I know you can and YOU know you can! Now come on, keep going!"

With one last squeak of strength, Hinata pushed herself up before flopping back down to the floor again, panting and wheezing wildly.

"Great workout today, Hinata. Tomorrow, we'll try for TWO push-ups." Kurenai said, patting her on the back. "Now, come on back out to the gym. It's dodgeball day. You, too, Ichida. Wouldn't want either of you to miss out."

I helped Hinata to her feet, handing her a facecloth to stop herself from drowning in her sweat. She bowed to me.

"Thank you very much, um, Ichida." she said, still panting a little.

"No problem." I said, continuing to talk to her as we walked out of the weight room.

"You must think I'm a loser, huh?" she asked me.

"What? No; why would I think that?"

"I'm spineless, weak, and shy… You saw me in there; I can barely do one push-up."

"Well, you'll never get stronger if you keep thinking like that."

"What do you mean?" Hinata asked, stopping and turning to me.

"Strength of body depends on your strength of will. If you believe you can do something, you can do it, no matter how many times it takes."

"Wow, Ichida… That's-"

Before Hinata could finish, Ino came up behind her and grabbed her by the arm, dragging her away.

"Come on, Hinata. You don't want to talk to her."

"B-But she's-"

"No buts. She's bad news. Did you hear about what she did to Sakura?" Ino said, giving a disdainful scowl back at me before turning away again.

I just stood there, flabbergasted at what had just happened. Ino had literally stolen a potential friend away from me. Now she was going to fill her in on my tragic mistake and Hinata was going to hate me, too.

Sadness wrapped around my heart for a brief moment, but it was quickly replaced by rage. I heard a whistle blow, and turned to see that Kurenai-sensei was standing in the center of the gym. All the boys had lined the bleachers, watching.

"Alright, girls! Here are the rules! Team 1 is on the left side of the gym and Team 2 is on the right side. I'm going to randomly spread the dodgeballs around and stand on the sideline, where the equator of the field is. If anyone from either side passes me, they're out. If you get hit with a dodgeball, no matter who throws it, you're out. If you catch a dodgeball, you're safe and the thrower is out. Everybody understand?"

There were nods from both sides of the field.

"Alright, then, let's start!" Kurenai yelled, spinning around, tossing the dodgeballs on either side. Mere moments later, war broke out. The sound of angry, screaming girls and the delightful smack of hard rubber against skin filled the air. I looked around and saw that more and more of my team was getting shot down. I looked at the other team and saw someone in the back, cleanly tossing a dodgeball straight through the air, nailing Kin Tsuchi square in the chest.

"Crap… They HAD to have Tenten on their team…" Kin muttered as she walked off the field.

"Who?" I asked, turning around to look at Kin.

"Tenten. She's a purebred crack shot and a sports prodigy. She excels at any sport that involves projectiles. Unless she gets out somehow, we've already lost this game."

I turned back around, just in time to get nailed with a dodgeball in the stomach. I wrapped my arms around the ball before it could fall away, counting as a catch.

"Ooh! You're out, Tenten. Good catch, Ichida." Kurenai called. Tenten snapped her fingers with a pout and walked off the field.

I automatically took aim, throwing the ball in my hands as hard as I could straight at Ino's head. She saw it and dodged it, letting the girl behind her take the heavy blow to the shoulder, causing her to stumble into the back wall.

"Not so rough next time, Ichida." Kurenai suggested.

I nodded and grabbed another dodgeball, which had rolled next to me, and chucked it again at Ino. It missed again and instead nailed Sakura on the chin. I was both annoyed and satisfied at the same time.

The dodgeball war raged on until I saw my shot. Ino had her attention diverted, I had a clear area, and no one was in my way. I felt like I was moving in slow motion as I pitched the dodgeball as hard as I could, straight at Ino's head. It came closer, closer, and closer still, a round missile flying straight and true to its intended target. The dodgeball continued to close the distance, until… until… un…..ti….l…l…

000

-beeeeeeeeeeeeeep!-

"Sigh…. She's gone. Cover her up." the surgeon said forlornly.

A curtain of sadness closed over the OR as one of the nurses moved to unplug the heart monitor.

Just as the woman placed her hand on the plug, time froze…

000

My eyes snapped open, and I blinked rapidly for a few moments before sitting up. After my vision returned I tried to piece together where I was, dully noting that I could only see out of my right eye. The sky was plagued with sickly purple clouds. Surrounding me was a field of dark green-grayish grass, and sitting in front of me was a huge, dilapidated steam engine with no cars. The train sat oblong on the tracks, while the tracks themselves rose as the continued, climbing high into the sky and disappearing into a big light in the distance.

Coming from that light was a large, spear-like object that had stabbed slightly into a humongous castle that sat in the distance. That castle was barred by a humongous, elaborate wall with a huge gate.

Atop the gate was a humongous statue of me, with my bangs covering up my right eye. In my right hand, I held four spiny chains, each chain being linked to the collar of another of four more statues, two on either side. Chills raced up and down my spine, for I recognized the faces on the statues. From left to right, statues of Hakujo, my mother, Sakura, and Ino loomed over the gate, bound by the chains that the statue of me held. Underneath each bound statue was a gate, each one much smaller than the giant gate in the center of the wall

As I stood, mesmerized by the amazing sight, a giant clap of black thunder struck down next to me, causing me to squeal in surprise. I hadn't screamed like that in years, and it felt very strange.

After catching my breath, I heard a small creaking noise coming from the wall, before noticing a blue light peeking out of the leftmost gate, under the statue of my deceased sister. I swallowed hard, slowly walking toward the light.

'Where the hell am I..?' Ichida asked as she walked.

**(A/N: Ooh! It's getting all mystical now! I hate ending a chapter so quickly, but if I do anymore, it'll ruin all the good stuff!**

**Where do YOU think Ichida is? What's going on with all that weird stuff? The train? The castle? The gate? The spear-like thing? WHAT'S GOING ON? Find out next chapter!**

**Sorry about my absence! Busy, busy life, you know. Even though it's summer, somehow, I always end up occupied.**

**Full cite!**

**Ino, Sakura, Hinata, Kurenai, and Kin belong to Masashi Kishimoto**

**Ichida's right half belongs to me. Her right half belongs to Tanni, always. ^^**

**Hakujo (cameo) and Senshu (cameo) belong to me.**

**Seeya next time! And don't forget to review! Reviews make the world go round! ^^)**


	6. Who am I?

**(A/N: Welcome back! We left off last chapter when Ichida apparently died on the O.T. However, we got a weird look inside her… wherever she is, and it seems that she's not quite dead yet. Can Ichida save herself from… whatever it is that's screwing with her? Let's see.)**

I stared up at the large, grey gate before me, soft blue light brushing my face from within. With a little effort, I pulled the gate completely open and just continued to stare inside.

"_Ichida…"_ I heard, causing me to gasp and look around. _"Ichida, you must help us. Please…"_

The voice was young, female, and pained. I felt like I recognized it, though, even though I had never heard it before.

"W-Who are you? What do you want?" I asked.

"_Enter the gate, Ichida. All will be answered in due time." _the voice instructed. Taking another gulp of air, I walked into the blue light. The blue glow seemed to penetrate my clothes and warm my skin, soothing me. I was so relaxed that I barely realized that I was walking. It was like my feet were moving for me.

When the light and the warm feeling disappeared, I came to, looking around at where I had come to. My jaw dropped and I gasped when I realized that I was standing in front of my family's Nagasaki mansion. However, everything was very different. The neighborhood looked like an old, run-down carnival strip, with old balloons strewn about, those stands where you play whack-a-mole and whatnot, and a couple of dirty stuffed animals wearing sad faces lying about.

Our mansion could have easily passed as the perfect cliché haunted house. It was off-grey, dilapidated, and extremely menacing. Everything in my being was telling me to back away from this house and go somewhere else, but just as I was about to turn around, the girl's voice rang in my head again.

"_Ichida, please help. If you want to escape this place and return to the land of the living, you must cooperate."_

"Tell me where I am first, and who you are."

"_You are trapped within yourself, Ichida. The skull fragment that is lodged in your brain triggered a chain of events. It has reawakened your past darkness, which has taken a hold of your heart, and unless you can free your heart, you will die._

_I cannot tell you who I am just yet, for if I do, I fear that your emotions will keep you from assisting me."_

I scowled at the voice. "So this is just about you, then, huh?"

"_No, Ichida, it's not."_

"So, what, then?"

"_I have something that you want, Ichida. You don't know that you want it, but trust me, you do, and unless you help me, you'll never get it."_

"Ugh! Quit speaking in riddles and tell me what you want to tell me!" I screamed. There was silence for a few moments, and I feared I had upset the voice or scared it away.

"_Fine, I'll speak in a tone in which you may understand me a little better."_

The voice cleared its throat before starting again.

"_Listen, you selfish little bitch! I have the key to the next gate, and unless you want to die, or worse, stay trapped in this twisted limbo between life AND death, you'd better get your ass in this house and free me! Are we clear?"_

I flinched, shocked at the sudden anger in the once-pained and upset voice. "C-Crystal clear. How do I get in the house?"

"_It's YOUR house, Ichida. How did YOU used to get in when you didn't have the main key?"_

I thought for a moment before gasping and lifting up the 'Welcome' mat, revealing a gold spare key.

"_O-One more thing, Ichida. Until you open the next gate, you must be very careful of any other voice you hear in your head besides mine. Not everything in this place can be trusted."_

I nodded, wondering if the voice could see me as well as hear me. With a shaky hand, I turned the key and heard the lock tumble, opening the creaky door. As I did, a cloud of bats screeched in freedom and poured out of the door. I screamed and stepped backwards, tripping on the steps and tumbling down into the garden.

I watched as the massive bat cloud flew high up into the air and seemed to disappear in the purple clouds above. Moments later, another loud clap of black thunder struck causing me to jump to my feet. I ran up the steps and into the house, closing the door behind me. By instinct, I reached my hand to the left and clicked on the light. It flickered for a few beats before staying steady.

"_I've been locked in a room on the second floor of the mansion. The key you need is somewhere on this floor."_

"So, what do I do now?" I asked.

"_You're going to have to overcome three tests before I can give you the key to the next gate. Start in the hearth."_

"Ugh, more riddles… Any chance you're going to tell me what that means?"

No answer. I sighed and began to walk. The rotting floorboards creaked under my weight. I pondered what the voice said to me, about a hearth. As I thought, I walked into the living room, where a dusty book caught my eye. It was just sitting in the middle of the floor, the gold binding glimmering under its molecule blanket. The black, bolded title read, GREEK GODS AND MYTHOLOGY, one of… One of Hakujo's favorite reads. I walked up to the book, bending down to pick it up, but the book suddenly jumped as if it were alive, surprising me.

The book immediately went limp again, but it had jumped to a certain page. I reached to pick up the book again, but the page I was looking at ripped itself right out of the book and began to fly around the room.

"W-Wha..? Hey!" I yelled, reaching for the page. It flied up just out of my reach, almost mocking me. I chased after it as it flew all about the house. I knocked over plants, chairs, and figurines trying to catch the page, and when it flew into the kitchen, I sprang off of the table, reaching for it. I managed to touch the paper and throw it slightly off its course, but couldn't get a good grip on it.

With resolve burning in my chest, I continued to chase after the paper, barely noticing that as I stormed about, wrecking the house, I knocked a pink orb to the floor, causing it to flicker with a warm, pink glow before staying steady and humming. As the paper approached the main room again, I made another blind leap for it. I managed to snag it with two fingers as I landed on the floor with a thud!

Panting, I watched as the page attempted to struggle out of my grip, before falling limp in my hand.

"Was that… Was that my first test?" I asked.

"_If only it were that easy…"_

I growled in frustration before standing and placing the page back into the book. I picked it up and sat down in one of the chairs n the main room, reading the page that I had chased.

"Hestia… In Greek mythology, she is the virgin goddess of the hearth, which is the sacred fire of Olympus."

"_Start in the hearth, Ichida."_

If I knew this house as well as I knew this house… I turned my head, staring at the fireplace, an almost 'sacred' place of meeting for my family. With a knowing smile, I stood and walked to the fireplace, but before I could reach inside, it, like most of the stuff in this haunted house, came to life, bursting into flames and keeping me away from it.

"_**Wow… That's a bummer."**_ said a voice. This voice was different from the first voice. It was much younger and much more innocent sounding. It didn't sound pained at all. It almost sounded… exactly like Hakujo.

"What's going on? Who are YOU now?"

"_**Figures you don't know me since you only have half of your memory, Ichida."**_ the voice said playfully.

"Wh-what? Lost half my- What?"

"_**You mean, the other voice didn't tell you? Jeez, what else hasn't she said? Did she even tell you who SHE is, yet?"**_

I considered this… I also considered what the other voice said about not trusting any other voice I hear.

"W-Well, no. But neither have you."

"_**Won't matter; you still wouldn't remember. Your memory wasn't lost; it was stolen."**_

"Stolen by who?"

"_**Can't tell ya! If I do, she'll know you're here, and that would be bad for ALL of us."**_

I shuddered, wondering what that could mean. "Why are you just contacting me now?"

"_**Hee hee! Because you turned on my orb, silly!"**_

'Orb..?' I thought, not knowing what she was talking about. Then I remembered the pink ball I had knocked down in my pursuit of the page.

"So, what do I do now?"

"_**Keep doing what you're doing, of course! Listen to the other voice, for now. But don't forget to turn on my other orbs as you find them. There are four more, and you'll find them as you go."**_

The voice said no more. I was so confused, I forgot WHAT I was doing, until the roar of the fire reached my ears again. I had to find a way to put out that fire and get what was hiding in there.

"_**Oh! Sorry, I almost forgot. That fire can't just be put out. You have to move it."**_

"Move it?"

"_**It's a lot easier than it sounds, really. Just find something that can hold a flame."**_

I looked around, frustrated with these stupid puzzles. It was like I was in one of those stupid hidden object mystery games. They were fun, though…

Anyway… I glanced around the room, looking for something that could hold a flame. My eyes rested on a candelabrum in one hallway that held many unlit candles.

'No way. There's no way those candles can hold the entire flame.'

"_**You'll never know until you try."**_ the second voice said playfully again.

With a shrug, I picked up one candle from the stand and took it to the fireplace, dipping it in the flame and pulling it back out. Surprisingly, the fireplace flame diminished a lot more than I thought it would. This just might work!

I put the lit candle back in its place and started lighting other candles on the candelabrum, finally snuffing out the flame when I lit the final candle. The scorched wood was too hot to touch, still. I placed the last candle back in its place, and as soon as I did, I heard a door click. I looked behind me, at the closet.

Curiosity overshadowed me, and I walked up to the closet door and opened it. The first thing I noticed was a pair of tongs hanging on the door. As I grabbed it, I heard little chattering noises coming from deeper in the closet. Suddenly, a fat, dirty rat poked its head out from a pile of junk, quickly followed by several more. They leaped, attempting to escape the closet, but I quickly slammed the door, panting.

"_Excellent, Ichida. Now, find the key and come free me." _came the first voice again.

"Hey, where did you go?"

"_I never went anywhere; I've been observing you this whole time."_

"I heard another voice, and she told me that you're keeping some stuff from me."

"_What did I tell you about listening to other voices?"_

"Are you, or are you not, keeping things from me?" I demanded.

"_No, Ichida, I haven't told you everything I know yet, but once you free me, everything will be explained. Please, find the key and come to the second floor."_

I squinted suspiciously, then dug through the scorched fireplace using the tongs, finding a shining gold key that didn't look burned or scorched at all. In fact, it was icy to the touch.

I grabbed the key and headed up the steps, a strange feeling welling up in my chest as I did so.

"_You've passed your first test, Ichida. Now you must prepare for the second…"_ the older voice said.

I looked around as I reached the second floor, which consisted of a long hallway, rows of doors standing vigil on either side of it. One door at the very end of the hallway had a blue glow coming from within. I slowly approached the door, the strange, almost supernatural feeling getting stronger as I got closer.

"_Yes…"_ the guiding voice whispered as I raised the key and placed it in the lock

"_**Hold on a second, Ichida! I don't think that it's such a good idea to free whoever's behind that door!" **_the younger voice protested.

"What? Why?"

"_Don't listen to her, Ichida. Freeing me is the only way you can escape this place."_

"_**How do you know that for sure? I think she's trying to hurt you, Ichida! To make sure that you never get out of here!"**_

"I… I…" I stammered, confused at everything that was going on. "I'm going to go with the only lead I have right now. And besides, I can fight. I think I can handle anything that tries to hurt me."

Both voices stayed silent. With an exhale, I turned the key, tumbling the lock. Slowly, I opened the door, but before it could fully open, a blue figure leaped out with a scream and wrapped her hands around my neck. She wore a simple blue dress down to her knees, and her eyes and mouth glowed a bright blue, so she looked like a poltergeist. Her voice was scary and ghastly, so much so that it froze my heart in fear.

"_This is your final test, Ichida!"_

The specter lifted me up and slammed me into the wall, still holding that death grip on my neck.

"_WHO AM I? Who's memory is the last shred of fucking sanity you had left in your twisted little world? Who is your SORROW, eating away at your heart because you can't get over the fact that I'm dead? That secretly, YOU feel responsible?"_

Something clicked in my mind. I knew who this person was, but the clouds in my mind were preventing me from identifying her. I got so scared, my mind and heart closed and hardened.

"Y-Y-You can't hurt me! You're just a ghost! A poltergeist! You're not real! You can't hurt me!" I managed to choke out.

"_WRONG. ANSWER." _the specter whispered in my ear before rearing back and throwing me across the hall. I landed on the steps and began to painfully tumble down, landing hard on my stomach when I reached the ground level. I slowly tried to stand up, but a large weight landed on my back and pressed me against the floor. I screamed out in pain, tears squeezing out of my eyes.

The specter grabbed my hair and wrenched my neck back, whispering in my ear again.

"_Let me refresh your memory…"_

She got off of my back and lifted me up by my hair, running me into the living room and dragging me head against the wall. In the process, she threw off almost every picture that hung there. Then the specter picked me up and threw me again. I landed on the kitchen table, smashing it into splinters.

I just sat there, writhing in pain, when the specter suddenly lifted me again.

"_Who was the 2ND most important person in your life?" _she growled at me, lifting me in the air and throwing me again. I slammed into the front door, panting. Thinking quickly, I reached up and tried to open the door, but I couldn't find the knob. Looking up, I saw that the knob had vanished!

The specter had grabbed a knife from the kitchen and walked toward me.

"_Who craved your attention more than anything but NEVER LIVED TO GET IT?" _she screamed, running at me with the knife. I managed to grab her hand and hold her back from goring me in the eye.

"_WHO AM I, ICHIDA?"_

My mind raced, trying to identify this madwoman. I thought for a moment about whose door I unlocked when I went upstairs. My eye drifted to the right, noticing that the only picture that the specter didn't use my face to knock down was-

"Jojo!" I screamed out. "Jojo! Is that you?"

"_It took you long enough to remember your little sister, you heartless bitch!"_

"Remember? How could I ever forget you, Jojo?"

"_I don't know, Ichida! Why was I locked up there for all these years, in the furthest recesses of your mind?"_

"That wasn't the back of my head, Jojo! That room that you were trapped in was my heart! I've always kept you close to my heart!" I protested.

"_PROVE IT!"_

I used one hand to continue to hold back Hakujo's knife and the other to reach into the pocket of my jeans and pull out my cell phone. After scrolling and pressing a few buttons, a song started playing.

_I never thought that I could walk through fire…_

_I never thought that I could take the burn…_

_I never had the strength to take it higher…_

_Until I reached the point of no return…_

Hakujo paused, dropping the knife at my feet. She gritted her teeth and backed away, covering her ears. I turned the volume up louder and Hakujo reacted even worse to it. She screamed painfully in the air. I sealed the deal and turned to volume all the way up.

_I will never say never! (I will fight!)_

_I will fight till forever! (Make it right!)_

_Whenever you knock me down_

_I will not stay on the ground_

_Pick it up, pick it up, pick it up_

_Pick it up (up, up, up)_

_And never say never…_

Hakujo yelled up into the air, her eyes and mouth turning from blue to a sickly purple. Suddenly, purple smoke oozed out of Hakujo's eyes and mouth, collecting into a cloud that writhed in the air before shriveling and vanishing in a puff.

I turned the media player off and approached Hakujo, who was kneeling. She looked a lot older than she was when she died, but there was no doubt that she was my sister.

"Jojo?" I asked, kneeling in front of her. My body was still in tremendous pain from the beating she gave me, but I managed to push through it and wrap my arms around her.

"Ichida… Thank you." Hakujo said. "I was possessed by my OWN sorrow. I thought you had forgotten about me, and that was why I was locked in there."

"I could never forget about you, Jojo. I think about you every day."

Hakujo pulled away from the hug and stood, helping me up with her. She pointed at the living room. "Look."

Two ghost-like figures had appeared in the living room. The older one was sitting at the computer, talking to it, while the younger one was poking her arm. After a few seconds, the older ghost shooed the younger one away, who slumped away sadly.

"Even when Ino wasn't here, you still cared about her more than me. I did my best to hide my anger and sadness, and I cherished the time we DID spend together."

"I'm-"

"You don't have to say you're sorry, Ichida. Now I know that you really did care. I know that you really did think about me, even after I died. You had my favorite song on your phone for all these years… I couldn't ask for anything more. Thank you, Ichi-neesan!"

Hakujo wrapped her arms around me again. I sucked in through my teeth from the stabs of pain that shot through my body.

"Now, I promised you the key to the next gate, and I'm a ghost of my word. Go up to my room and you'll find what you need on the floor."

I nodded and walked back up the steps, stopping in front of the door and peering inside. Lying on the pink-carpeted floor was a panel of some sort. I entered the room and picked up the panel. It tingled to touch. Adorned on the panel was an intricate design of some sort. I didn't know why, but just looking at the design made me sad. I turned it around to the blank other side and took it back downstairs.

"Now, you must exit this place and ascend to my statue right outside. Place the Sorrow Key in the statue's collar, and I will be freed. Good luck, Ichida. The three other panel keys you need won't be as easy as the one you've gotten."

"Thanks, Jojo. I'll never forget you for as long as I live."

"Well, you'd better get out of here, or that won't be very much long." Hakujo laughed, pointing at the door. The doorknob reappeared where it should be, and I opened the front door, stepping out and closing it behind me.

I trod down to the front gate and opened it, blue light pouring out of nowhere as I did. I stepped into the blue light and ended up in the same strange place where I started. I turned back to the gate, noticing a staircase right beside it.

As I ascended the staircase, I contemplated what I had seen. My Nagasaki house represented the barren sorrow I had after Hakujo died. In my sorrow, Hakujo's memory seemed trapped within the rotting pit of my soul. I thought I was keeping her memory safe in my heart, but I was only hurting her…

"Well, now she can finally be free of me." I whispered to myself as I approached the collar of the statue. Without hesitation, I inserted the Sorrow Key into the circle-shaped slot. The intricate design on the key began to glow bright blue.

This blue light traveled up the spiked chain, into the hand of my statue. The one visible eye on my statue glowed blue for a few moments before the chain shattered, dissolving into dust. The dust flew up to me and swirled into my hand, collecting into a small coin that looked like the Sorrow Key I had just used.

"_The train, Ichida. Put it in the train."_ Hakujo's voice rang out to me.

I nodded and walked back down the staircase, approaching the wrecked train. Carefully climbing inside, I stared in amazement at the sheer state of disrepair the train was in. Looking at the old steampunk controls, I noticed a panel on the control board that had five slots, each big enough for my new coin to fit into. As I approached the panel, the coin almost pulled itself out of my hand, seemingly attracted to the panel. Curious, I let the coin go and it zipped right onto the panel, inserting itself in one of the five slots.

I heard humming and I felt like the train was moving, an impossible feat in its condition. Suddenly, the entire steam engine began to shake and I ran out of the train as fast as I could.

Staring back at the train, I saw that blue electricity was coursing around it as it slowly lifted itself into the air, readjusted itself, and carefully set itself down correctly on the tracks.

"_Congratulations, Ichida. You're one step closer to leaving this place. The next gate is open to you. A new memory will guide you. Good luck, sis… You'll need it."_

I nodded again, walking back toward the giant wall of gates. The pain I had in my body seemed to ebb away and determination replaced it. I had to get out of here and back home, where I belong…

**(A/N: Woohoo! That was awesome, right? This has turned into an action/adventure/fantasy story! 'Ichida's Limbo', as I have just now christened it, was inspired by several cool fantasy hidden object games I recently played, way too many to count. Each of them had some hand in shaping this world, and I thought it turned out great! Ichida's Limbo is also based slightly on amusement parks. Why? Because I have amusement parks on the brain! Why? BECAUSE I'M GOIN' TO DISNEYWORLD IN AUGUST! Woohoo!**

**But enough about me! I really want to her what you guys are thinking about Limbo. The concept is not exactly rock-solid, so if you have any ideas on how I could make it better, feel free to give them!**

**Now, it's after 2:30, and I think I hear my mom coming downstairs to yell at me… Eep! Until next time, readers! ^^)**


	7. Hiatus

Hey, guys. As you probably guessed from this chapter title, I'm taking a hiatus from ISIG to continue to pursue my huge main project, Avatar: Rise of the Shadowbenders.

If you want to keep up with my writing, or if you're a big Avatard like most of my fans, you should check that story out. It's by far my most popular and my most successful story, and I can guarantee, even if you hate Avatar with all of your being, you will at least SLIGHTLY enjoy A:RotS.

When will this story start up again? Eh, I'll try and type more of the story as I go on with A:RotS, but don't look forward to fast weekly or biweekly (or triweekly) updates.

Again, sorry for the hiatus, but if I don't start up A:RotS now, I'll start to lose faith in the story, and I promised I wouldn't be iffy with it anymore.

Until we meet again, ISIG, this is SH10, signing out!


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